Oka is a small village located on the northern shore of Ottawa River near the confluence of the river and Lake of Two Mountains. In 1898, the Department of Marine established a light just upstream from Oka to mark a narrow section of the Ottawa River formed by two points that extended into the river from opposite shores of the river, and then in 1903, a light was established on the wharf at Oka. The following description of the wharf light appeared in the Annual Report of the Department of Marine:

A pole light was, on September 16, 1903, established on the outer end of the wharf in front of the village of Oka, on the north side of the Lake of Two Mountains, Ottawa river. The light is a fixed white light shown from a lens lantern hoisted on a pole fixed to the front of the freight shed on the wharf near its outer extremity. It is elevated 28 feet above the summer level of the river and should be visible 5 miles from all points of approach by water. The illuminating apparatus is dioptric of the seventh order.

The pole is 20 feet high and has a box at its base. It is attached to the southeast corner of the freight shed, which is a wooden building painted drab.

The work was done by Mr. Hyacinthe Lacroix, keeper of the lighthouse above Oka, at a cost of $258.30, the lens lantern being provided from our stores.

H. Lacroix, who served as keeper of Oka Lighthouse, also looked after the wharf light. In 1908, a white, square, wooden tower with an enclosed upper portion and a red, octagonal lantern room replaced the pole light. At this time, a seventh-order, 240° Chance lens that was mounted atop a brass stand was placed in the lantern room to produce a fixed white light.

D. Guindon replaced H. Lacroix as keeper of the light in 1912, and, in turn, was replaced by T. Hamelin in 1912. A white cylindrical tower replaced the wooden lighthouse in 1980. This modern tower served until the light at Oka Wharf was discontinued in 1997.

Keepers: H. Lacroix (1903 – 1910), D. Guindon (1910 – 1912), T. Hamelin (1912 – at least 1923).

References

1. Annual Report of the Department of Marine, various years.

No light exists at this location today.

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